'Suicide attempt' of 9/11 suspect

[uppityperson]

Source: BBC

The alleged "20th hijacker" in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US tried to commit suicide days before his charges were dropped, his lawyer said. Mohammad al-Qahtani thought he was to be executed at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay and attempted suicide, his attorney Gitanjali Gutierrez said.

The Pentagon dropped the charges of murder and war crimes against Mr Qahtani on 13 May. No reason was given for dropping the charges, which could be filed again.

Ms Gutierrez said her client had tried to cut himself at least three times in April, once badly enough to require hospital treatment.

Mr Qahtani had made the suicide attempts after learning that he and five other Guantanamo prisoners faced possible death sentences for their alleged roles in the 11 September attacks that killed about 3,000 people.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7411821.stm

---

And a related article. Why has the US dropped 9/11 charges? (Answer: Torture)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7399644.stm

The American government has given no reason why charges against the man it has alleged was the "20th hijacker" in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US have been dropped. Mohammad al-Qahtani has been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2002, following his detention in Afghanistan. In February, he was charged with conspiracy, terrorism, and murder in violation of the laws of war, among other offences.

The US alleges he attempted to come to the United States in order to take part in the 9/11 attacks, but was stopped at the airport on his arrival. An immigration officer suspected he intended to stay in the US illegally, and refused him entry.

The charges were dropped "without prejudice" - which means they could be brought again at a later date.
(clip)
As well as his military lawyer, Mr Qahtani is represented by a civilian lawyer from the Center for Constitutional Rights - a New York-based legal rights organisation. The CCR said in a statement it believed the charges against him had been dropped because Mr Qahtani had been tortured. "The government's claims against our client were based on unreliable evidence obtained through torture at Guantanamo," it said.

[ShortnFiery]

1. It's clear that we've lost our "Forth Estate" when we have to glean our valuable news

from foreign sources. :(

[zonmoy]

2. not that interested in hearing that the patsy

gets the charges dropped after committing suicide undoubtedly caused by being tortured to give false confessions to be used in his show trial.

[AndyTiedye]

3. It Isn't OUR "Fouth Estate" It Belongs to the Parent Corporations

[uppityperson]

5. I read several international news places. Found a couple bits in USA ones though.

I know what you mean about news sources.

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN20316753

Looks like AP has an article out too:
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/9-0&fp=48350ed17fbd937d&ei=_K41SJrKC43k-wHv7ZjICQ&url=http%3A//www.star-telegram.com/279/story/655813.html&cid=1214410400&usg=AFrqEzdxP1RKBQF6ILZqvQnDpP6td05TGg
9-11 detainee tried suicide
The Associated Press

The alleged "20th hijacker" in the 9-11 attacks tried to kill himself at Guantanamo last month, his lawyer disclosed Tuesday. She said Mohammed al-Qahtani, a Saudi, was distraught over a possible death sentence. The Pentagon dropped the charges against him last week with no explanation.

Al-Qahtani cut himself at least three times and had to be hospitalized at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba, attorney Gitanjali Gutierrez said. She learned of the suicide attempt when she visited him and noticed three scars on his hand, inside wrist and inner forearm near the elbow.

"He felt the Saudi government has thoroughly abandoned him and as if he is surrounded by people -- the U.S. military -- who want to kill him," she said. "He has lost all hope."

[ohio2007]

8. "He felt the Saudi government has thoroughly abandoned him"..interesting quote

He felt the Saudi government has thoroughly abandoned him and as if he is surrounded by people -- the U.S. military -- who want to kill him," she said. "He has lost all hope."


And why didn't the House of Saud concern themselves with their own citizens being held ? Why no scream of outrage from those legal eagles that are citizens of the magic kingdom ?

I say send him back so they can treat him with all the honor of a Jim Carey movie character

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BNjMxMjYxODk3OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjA1NDAzMQ@@._V1._SY140_SX100_.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyhnI1QiGNw&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0rHH6LQdpI&feature=related
I'd watch



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBu9l_EKWVs&feature=related

[MinM]

4. "20th hijacker" blows up torture argument

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/20th_hijacker_blows_up_torture_argument.html :kick:'n R

[dailykoff]

6. Well, one reason they may have dropped charges

is because he's innocent. Don't know about the Pentagon but the Trade Center was a demo job, in case anyone hasn't figured it out.

[ohio2007]

7. So, was his lawyer given his suicide note

before or after the charges were dropped ?

I'm sure the alleged hijacker was never given pen or paper being locked up for seven years. Bet they also have miles of videotape of him ranting from behind bars. Getting that stuff through the freedom of information act should be priority #1.

It would make for some interesting follow up in a year or so after his release into the civilized world.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/FOREIGN/599994288/1001


Maybe now that the charges are dropped this guy can go on Dr.Phil and get things off his chest before they eat him up
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/story/518419.html

[Peace Patriot]

9. "...charged with conspiracy, terrorism, and murder in violation of the laws of war..."

Hm. Ironic that he would be charged with "violation of the laws of war," when the Bush Junta has SUSPENDED the "laws of war" in their treatment of this and other PRISONERS OF WAR. The Geneva Conventions, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the UN Charter, our own Constitution, all of it out of the window. And in their place: Emperor Bush and his puppetmasters decide who's guilty.

And in Iraq, of course, they slaughtered or maimed 1.2 MILLION innocent people without even a mock trial. Saddam guilty of having WMDs (not). And everybody else guilty of simply living in Iraq, on top of so much oil.

The "laws of war"? Right.

The Bush toadies in the U.S. military who are carrying out these war crimes must have shit for brains. Surely they can think up something less...um...egregiously hypocritical, even laughable if it didn't involve such horrible acts...as their excuse for holding a prisoner of war without charge for six years, torturing him, and then having the audacity to hold a military tribunal to convict and execute him.

These prisoners are pretty heavy baggage for the Bushites to have to lug around. Off them--that's the answer. Can't off them without a kangeroo court to convict them of something. Hold kangeroo court, and...oops!... the torture comes out, putting our Bushite travelers on the road to the Hague. So what the hell are they going to DO with them? I'm sure they'd like to take the whole population of Guantanamo Bay (and a couple of other prisons) and dump them into the Bermuda Triangle, never to be seen again. So, what's a Jag general to do?

Maybe that's why their brains have turned into scrambled eggs. They really have a career-killing, and military-mind scrambling, dilemma. What to do with these damaged prisoners of war--these living witnesses to Bush Junta war crimes--when all the fun and games are over?

Venezuela has offered sanctuary to U.S. war resisters who have fled to Canada, rather than return to the horror that is Iraq--since Canada is now threatening to send them back to face U.S. military persecution for doing the right thing. (There are some 25,000 U.S. soldiers on the run from stoploss slavery, according to war resisters' web sites.) Cuban doctors are famous in Venezuela and throughout South America for providing superior medical care, for free. Perhaps these COMPASSIONATE people could come up with a convalescent home for tortured U.S. prisoners of war.

Who is going to care for them? What is going to be done with them? Will the U.S. government ever face what it has been done, and do the right thing by these Bushite victims--when we can't even do the right thing by our own wounded soldiers, and continue to permit our military to seek vengeance against those who refused to serve any further in this COMPLETELY ILLEGAL and heinous war?

Give them to Venezuela and let Cuban doctors heal them. THAT would be a beautiful irony! Or, heck, convert Guantanamo Bay itself into a hospital and convalescent home, and let Cuba run it! The U.S. has forfeited any right to that part of the island, and certainly has no lawful authority over these prisoners. Walk away from it! Let the prisoners have the prison, and let Cuban doctors and architects into it, to transform it into a place of healing.

Not a bad plan.

[cyberpj]

10. US Gov gives no reason why charges have been dropped.

Shhh... it's a secret. Just like everything else we do.......


Doesn't this have to be documented SOMEwhere?